Mexican Lucha Figures Review

                                              

As a change of pace from my regular coverage of Japanese Puroresu figures,
today's blog post is all about the interesting world of Lucha Wrestling figures
from Mexico.

Mexico has a strong tradition of Lucha Libre figures dating back several
decades. Some of the more well known Lucha figures were released under
the  AAA, XMAToys and the CMLL banners.

Let's take a look at the Lucha figures I was able get my hands on:

No, it's not Japanese high flyer The Great Sasuke, the first Lucha figure
is of the Wrestler "Octagon" with a very thin red belt and matching
headband.

Each hard plastic figure features the same mold and stands at roughly 4
inches in height.

As with other bootleg products, there are no company logos or
copyright information located anywhere on these figures.   

The most noticeable aspect of these figures is their paint job, which is
quite minimal and sloppy when compared with other bootleg toys from
around the world..
                           

The next figure looks to be based off 1980's Luchador Ultraman with
added red stripes.




                    

Since each figure was hand painted, no two figures are ever alike.

                               

Do you know the identity of this Luchador? If so, leave a comment!

                         
                           
Our next mystery Lucha is the first of the set to feature a cape and
illustrated knee decals on his ring tights. This Lucha figure is of
Tinieblas.

The cape accessories for these Lucha figures were made out of plastic
bags and are glued to the figures themselves.

Despite their rough appearance, these Lucha figures have been in production
since the early 1980's; being sold everywhere from Flea Markets to Arenas
in Mexico!

                       

                      
The next caped Lucha figure sports a purple cape and white stripes
along his tights.

The capes for these figures are see-through.

                             

This simplistic design was based on Luchador Sicodélico and comes
with a matching green cape.

                            
Some of the caped versions of these figures were lifted from mono-
colored variants that were touched up with a few strokes of paint.
                       

Next up is an intimidating (and mysterious) character design that is also
sporting a cape.


                           





                      

In most cases, these bootleg figures are based on real-life Wrestlers.
In other cases, figuring out the identities behind certain designs are
a little harder to decipher.

The last of my Lucha haul is of former WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio Jr.

"A" for effort!

The makers of this figure even replicated Rey's modern WWE-era 619
ring pants!

                              
Closing thoughts:
These Mexican bootleg figures are gritty, rough around the edges
and, in some cases, almost indistinguishable from one another.

But, even in their crude, sloppily-painted appearances, these eye
catching-Mexican imports are a modern reminder of the lasting
impact Lucha Libre has had on the people of Mexico and the
world over.

For starters, their inexpensive price point and uncountable number
of multi-coloured variants out there make these Lucha figures
exciting to collect and even greater to display in groups. And,
their various designs make the perfect template to imagine your
very own Lucha champion!